Lana concentrates on the fiery ball, sending it rolling around the room in search of the invisible witch.
The flaming sphere bounces merrily about the room without finding the Jadwiga.
Kalt looks and listens around the room, trying to locate the vanished witch. Not seeing her, he will hold his sword at the ready in case any of his companions finds her.
Peering into the room, eyes filled with anger, Ankih says...
" Poor spirit. This horrible place tortures children. Even their souls find no release. It must be stopped!"
He then casts detect magic and focus into the room.
" I can't see you yet, Witch! But I will find you."
Shanya watches with a sad look on her face as the attic whisperer is sent to his final rest.
"You have a LOT to answer for, witch." She growls as she returns to the doorway and looks around.
Shanya's eyes flicker over to the window... and sees a telltale outline of someone invisible.
"Kalt, would you mind checking that window over there? The witching hour will soon be upon us, and I'd rather not let the cold in." Shanya says, pointedly glancing at the ranger.
"Kalt, would you mind checking that window over there? The witching hour will soon be upon us, and I'd rather not let the cold in." Shanya says, pointedly glancing at the ranger.
Realizing there are footprints pressed into the goosefeather comforter, Shanya reveals the location of the witch. However, Kalt trips on the edge of the bed as he clambers upon it and his blade goes wide.
Avora moves into the room and stabs at empty air (the spot marked X).
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Kalt can’t help but notice how striking Shanya is in the heat of battle, her scraggly black locks swept back and her varicolored eyes full of a powerful intensity. It takes a moment of effort, but he manages to draw his focus away from the messenger and heed her message. The witch is at the window, by the bed!
Armed with this knowledge, and a large magical sword, Kalt swings where Shanya has directed him, but misses badly.
Grumbling in frustration, Ankih will try to blast her with a ball of fire.
" Burn you frigid hag!"
Ankih, although he knows where the hag stands, is unable to place his magical flame properly, nor does Avora's spear bite flesh.
And then... nothing happens. At least, nothing that the heroes can see. It is plain that the witch hasn't moved from her spot... Kalt can smell the sickly stink of the elderly woman's wrinkled skin.
The air itself seems to shriek in dismay as Lana unleashes the thunderous clap. The empty air then curses in ragged gasps.
(Skald)"I will bake and broil you girl, roast and stuff you... just you wait."
Kalt mutters, "I don't think you'll be doing any cooking, witch," then swings his sword powerfully.
Again Ankih focus his vision trying to see the witch.
Hmm. I have an idea....
Transfering his bonded dagger to his offhand, Ankih casts truestrike using his dagger to pull an unprepared spell out of his book.
"If you could move your flame out of the door slightly I would like to enter..."
Shanya grits her teeth and leaps through the fire...
...then makes for the window south of the bed!
"I suggest you give up now!" calls Lana to the invisible woman, mentally directing the flames toward the depressions on the comforter.
You hear a scream of agony as once again the flaming sphere bites into the ancient woman's flesh and clothes, although she doesn't seem to respond to Lana's imperative to surrender.
As Shanya moves into the room, she sees that there is also a window by the head of the bed - it is clear to here analytical mind that blocking any single window my be pointless if the witch has means to exit through them.
Shanya swings her mace a little above where the depressions in the comforter are!
Avora stabs fitfully at the depression in the comforter.
Frigid wafts in through the air as a window in the east of the room open. A hoarse, taunting laugh grows deeper and then ceases after a few seconds. It is apparent the crone leapt out the window, with no attendant thump of landing on the cobblestone below. The old bird has flown...
"Damn!" Kalt curses, "She's sure to warn the dragon we're here. We'll take a quick look and then we'd better get moving."
" No!!" With a shout Ankih rushes to the window, drawing his scimitar as he does so.
"Strike!"
Using his hand of the apprentice ability his scimitar leaps out 30' after the hag.
Ankih's Scimitar strikes true, but other then a splatter of blood raining into the snow covered cobblestones, there is no indication the that the scimitar fell the hag.
A cursory glance about the room shows a small box on the dresser with pearl-and-gold inlay. Inside are dozens of unsent, signed letters from children to parents and Queen Elvanna begging for home or forgiveness; the witch seems to be keeping for her own leisurely reading.
"Nice try, Ankih," Kalt says encouragingly, "would have been a glorious way to take her down. But now we've got to keep moving, clearing this place out so we don't have any surprises waiting behind us when we fight the dragon. Let's see what's in there."
He moves to the door to the north and takes a careful look at it. Would be just like that witch to leave a nasty surprise here... Once he's confident it's safe, he opens the door.
The door of the north proves to be locked, but Shanya is easily able to defeat the basic mechanism.
Inside the party finds what appears to be children's nursery with a small bed. Sitting beside it and looking glum is a waifish Ulfen girl. She looks up at the group in surprise. The girl looks quite thin, with hollow cheeks and twig-like limbs..
As the party looks around the room, they can see toys, children's books, and a plate heaped with yams, fish, and bread; all of it, however, appears ignored or untouched. The books on the tables are children’s picture books, or collections of fables and folklore from other nations of the Inner Sea. One dubious and inappropriate exception is entitled The Wilewood Labyrinth.
the girl hesitantly asks Shanya in a quiet voice as the Ulfen woman opens then door. (Skald)"Who, um, are you? Are you friends of Granny Nan?" She stops and sniffles; it is clear this little girl has been crying.
Shanya was in a quiet sulk when Granny Nan made her escape, and complied with the party's requests without a word.
I could have stopped her. I could have killed her.
When she opens the north door, her demeanour shifts entirely as the little girl addresses her.
"We're no friends of the witch, little one. We're here to rescue you." She says softly, moving forward slightly. One of her gloved hands reflexively moves to cover her sickly green eye, but she thinks better of it, instead smoothing a lock of her hair behind her ear.
The girl looks slightly overtaken by a wave of disbelief at her change in fortunes. Momentarily she climbs up to her feet, wobbling slightly. "Thank you", she whispers simply. She moves to follow the adult woman, but her self imposed starvation seems to have left her too weak to move quickly. She grabs Shanya's hands, seeking to steady herself.
Shanya takes the girls hands. "Easy there." She sets her backpack on the ground and digs around in it, producing several strips of beef jerky.
She hands them off to the little girl. "Here--it's not the tastiest of food, but at least it'll fill your belly."
In anger Ankih will slam the window shut, locking out the hag.
" Now what?"
he asks as he follows the others out of the room.
"I feel the dragon will be quite fierce, especially now that it will know we are coming."
-------------------
" Oh my. I am sorry for what has happened little one. My friends and I will see you safe and these monsters destroyed!"
Eyeing her condition he continues.
" Now let's see if you are hurt or just weak from starving yourself......."
unsure himself, Ankih will roll out a scroll of CLW and cast it on the child..
"I wouldn't eat witch food. мама said never eat witch food." She pauses and furls her brow in concentration "Granny Nan put me here and told me to eat. All the other ones who ate and got fat, Granny Nan took them away. She said she was taking them home to their мамаs but she's a liar!" There is some weak vehemence in the child's words.
Shanya puts the beef jerky in the girl's hand, looking at her feet.
Oh, I know too well the truth of that...
"You're entirely right." Is all that she says. From the tone of her voice, it's clear that she doesn't want to elaborate further.
Avora comforts the child as best she can. She does not understand what is being said, but the meaning of the words is all too clear. "Sven, Kalt, we have to get her home to her parents," she says. "I know that the witch is going to warn the dragon, but if we leave the child here, she will surely be in grave danger."
Kalt’s eyes widen at Avora’s suggestion that they leave with the child. ”I agree, we need to make her safe,” he responds, ”but our best chance of doing that lies in taking out the dragon – now.” He looks at the others and says, ”What do you think? I say we let the girl make her way out of here, or hide in her room again if that might be safer. We need to finish this, we may not get another chance.”
"Have you forgotten the other children downstairs already?" Shanya looks up at the druidess and the ranger. "She could easily be safer there--the other kids can keep her out of danger and we can tear Logrivich's throat out without leaving."
"Makes sense to me," Kalt responds, "as long as we can keep moving."
" Aye, little one. Your greatest chance of survival depends on us ridding this area of the dragon AND the Witch! To do that we must press on. So I will give you a token from my Goddess to help you find your strength and courage. Below are more children, you must go down and wait with them."
Ankih says then cast both guidance and resistance on the child.
pulling out a gold coin he continues.
" I have given you minor blessings from Milady, now a symbol of her power to keep you safe on your way down."
He then gives her directions to the other children, and casting light on the gold coin sends her on her way.
After she leaves he turns to the others...
" If we fail, they will all die. So let us not fail my friends!"